Taking the Bull by the Horns

When the SCCA first released their National Tour and ProSolo schedule, my friend Greg McCance tossed the idea of a codrive out to me, way back in November.

"Are you serious about letting me codrive?" I texted. "I'd kind of like to do the Irvine (El Toro) event, since it leads into my spring break..."

After me asking several more times over the next two months if he was serious, I finally got plane tickets since I was planning three other trips simultaneously (two to Boston and one to San Antonio) and made hotel reservations.

And before I knew it, Spring Break was here. It probably didn't help that every week, there seemed to be a new snow storm here in Maryland, so that it felt like spring was never quite going to get here.

This happened any number of times between December and March.

I did laundry Thursday night and mostly packed (since most of the non-clothes stuff was already taken care of due to my NSTA trip to Boston the previous week), then after work, busted ass home to finish packing and catch my 5:30 flight.

Upon settling in to my seat, iPod going, I felt the first kick. Yep, it was going to be six hours of seat-kicking-screaming toddler behind me. I sighed loudly, and the woman beside me says, "I'll switch seats with you if he's going to be a problem." I guess she was his mother, but I still gave her a look of doom as I simply said, "No thanks, I can't sit in a middle seat." I really can't, especially if I'm by myself. It was bad enough during the trip to San Antonio where Pat was in the window seat and the woman whose body didn't obey the rules of personal space was in the aisle seat. I just wish she'd been as "accommodating" when she and her husband decided to put the child behind a stranger instead of in the middle seat (behind her, and the husband behind me). Meh, the worst part, for me, was realizing I'd forgotten my Southwest drink coupons, but the stewardess got me my drinks with a quickness and I was asleep before long.

I feel asleep shortly thereafter.

I arrived in San Diego around 8:30 local time, and grabbed my rental car to head up to Irvine. I'd received a message from McCance telling me that the Billy Brooks wasn't going to make the trip, so I could run open class if I wanted to. I was sad, as I was also looking forward to seeing Billy, but I was happy to run open class too. Greg said he'd handle the registration changes, and so I didn't worry about getting to the event site until the next morning.

The official fish of the front desk

I checked in, texted Greg to tell him what room I was in, set my alarms and then fell asleep.

Saturday morning, waking up at 5:30 local time felt great, considering it was essentially 8:30 my time. Greg had texted me telling me his phone had died, and what room he was in. I went downstairs to grab a bite to eat, thinking to meet up with him, and after about 15 minutes, we realized we weren't at the same hotel after all. He gave me his GPS coordinates so I could make it to the site via Google Maps, and off I went.

Walking course Saturday morning, there was a bit of wind.

Since he'd towed the car with Bret Norgaard's ambulance, there really wasn't anything to do in terms of car setup, so I just wanted to check in and walk course. The registration computers were acting up, so after saying hi to Jason Rhoades and a few others, we just walked course, then I checked in. One more course walk, and then it was hurry-up-and-wait until my work assignment.

Back in the chair

I checked in early so that Paul Russell could give me a quick refresher on the buttons, since I hadn't worked start since the Wendover ProSolo last July. I was working the shift just before I needed to run, so I started getting antsy towards the end of the shift, hoping my replacement (Kinch Reindl) or a substitute (Howard Duncan) would be stopping by soon. I still hadn't even been behind the wheel of Greg's car, so this was going to be one of those times where I was thrown into the fire immediately, learning the car as I drove up the stage lanes... on cold, sticker tires....

Howard stopped by soon enough, and I saw that Greg was in the process of bringing the car up to grid. Because we were running Greg's numbers (78/178), I would be unpaired for the morning runs, which I thought sucked. I always like having someone to run against. I told Greg, "If we ran 34/134, this wouldn't be an issue!" and I had my magnets with me (since I thought I'd be running #34, L1), but it was too late to switch.

As the time wound down, the fifth driver -- a third gen Camaro newbie who actually wasn't ESP legal, but was recruited by the rest of the guys so we had a seventh driver for Hoosier contingency -- didn't show up. So, to condense the launches and not have two bye-pairings, I got to run against Tim Bergstrom in the yellow Mustang that he shares with Britt Dollmeyer at the Tours. Chris Darquea and Elliot Speidell were the first pairing, and Greg would be matched up against John Hogan in the second drivers lane.

I asked Greg what I needed to know. He didn't really have any advice for me, but asked if I wanted to use the launch control. I balked, since I haven't really used launch control since I drove Stompy back in the day. I sat in the car to see how awkward it would be to launch how I was used to, and it was definitely awkward, since the emergency brake is on the far side of the console and required that I dig the bottom part of my arm into part of the driver's seat. Still, I felt I'd be better off without the LC.

I started off awful. No... awful doesn't even cover it. I completely boned my first two runs, and didn't realize it until halfway through the second one. There are no more "DNFs" but instead, you get assessed a 10 second penalty for "missing elements of the course." Really? SMH. So, crossing back over to the left side, I concentrated on staying on course, then did the same thing on the right side. I felt my times were pretty meh, and once Greg went out on warm tires, he proved me right.

So, after our first runs, Greg was leading, and I was fourth. I had so much time left to gain, especially on the left, and while I wanted to walk the courses during the break, I also wanted to get something to eat. We swapped the tires front to back, then ended up eating at Jack in the Box (such creepy photographs they have there!), and missed the walkthrough time. :(
 
Greg dropped a ton of time -- almost 1.5 seconds -- and stayed comfortably in the lead. I started off with a great 1.1s improvement on the right... but was DSQed for forgetting to take the 1s off the car. :( :| >:|

Greg told me to shrug it off, and I tried, I really did, but I never did match this time again. And it ended up being the difference between a trophy and nothing. I am so mad at myself.

Still the left side was giving me fits, and while I did get down to a 33.7 on that run, things went downhill from there. I spun on the next right side run, pushing too hard in an unfamiliar car through the crossover (Morgan Trotter thought it was funny how hard I was laughing as I brought the car to a stop), and then redlit and had a scary, scary DNF on my last, left side run, where the sun was in my eyes so badly that I literally couldn't see anything, much less the course, once I got into the "Chicago box" area. I haven't had that happen since the 2003 DC Tour, where the finish during the sixth (!) heat was more by memory and feel than anything else.

I dropped to fifth spot, knowing full well I should be in third.

We went to dinner with Annie Gill, opting for Mexican, and forgetting to set "no tolls" on our Google Maps. Eek. We eventually got to the place, and the food was good if a bit pricey for run-of-the-mill Mexican.

Greg called it the "John Holmes Special." I don't ever think I'll order flautas again.

I dropped Greg off at his hotel, and went back to mine to mull my myriad mistakes over... and over.

Sunday morning was less breezy and more overcast when I arrived on site. I wanted to walk the courses, especially the left side, and did so. My second walk through was punctuated by Tom Berry noting how well I was launching Greg's car sans launch control. It was something I'd been concerned about, and to have someone of Tom's caliber make note of it was nice and allayed some of my fears about driving the car. In fact, my 60ft times ranged from 1.708 (my last left side run) to 1.831 (my first left side run).

It didn't change the fact that I couldn't drive the way I wanted and needed to on the course. I'd rest on my Saturday afternoon left side time, and would never match my DSQed time on the right, only getting a 32.8 on my first Sunday run and coning a 32.2 (and not even realizing I'd coned). Frustrating.

Me driving the unicorn.

I'd get a chance to redeem myself when I had my name drawn for the bonus challenge. And, just like at Packwood, I'd throw it away with a poor launch; the 0.8 something on my left side run killed me, but I couldn't get the car staged the way I wanted to, and so knew I was staged too deep. I ended up losing by 0.044, and the guy I lost to ended up winning the whole thing over Ed Runnion who lucked into the final round by a double redlight on Joe Austin and Jeff Wong.

I needed air! 

It all ended up great in the end. Greg was in the Super Challenge, paired up with Mack Tsang to start. Mack coned, giving Greg the advantage as he headed over to the faster right side, and Greg came back with the win, putting him against Gary Thomason for round two. It was a similar story; Greg had an advantage due to a rare cone by Gary, but this time, Greg didn't let up near as much on the right side. He took the win again.

Now it's time to spray tires.

Tom Berry was the next opponent, and shockingly enough, Tom caught his first red light of the weekend. Having worked as starter during ASP... I mean, SPA, I had noted how machine-like Tom and Marshall were at the line, so that red light surprised me almost as much.

The other surprised at this point was how nonchalant Greg was about the whole thing. I've seen a lot of people in the Super Challenge, from both the grid and the starter's chair and seen the range from the stoicism of John Ames and Gary Thomason, to the machinations of Andy Hollis, to the giddiness of Tom Hoppe and Tony Savini. Greg was none of these things. He never seemed concerned whether Morgan and I were spraying the tires or checking pressures, he never seemed too concerned with what I was yelling at him when he'd come in from one side or the other.

I guess the only thing to say -- and anyone who knows him will back me up on this -- is that he was just being Greg.

The round of four was the first time Greg had to start on the fast side, and I was sad to note that I hadn't been paying attention to the crucial differential point -- the amount of time at which it seemed the person starting on the left wouldn't be able to overcome it. Greg was against the CS winner, Jeff Stuart, for this, and came in leading ~1.2s. As he drove by into the left staging lanes, I was telling him, "1.2, 1.2! It's going to be close!" because that was about what I thought. Well, evidently, he was more than covered, because he proceeded to lay the smack down and broke out.

He was headed to the final round, against the toughest of opponents.

Greg would take on Paul Russell for the top spot in the Super Challenge

Yep. Greg had to battle a kart, and everyone knows that a kart in the final round is nearly impossible to beat. From getting antsy at the tree, to overdriving to stay ahead of the buzzing in your ears, karts are a menace in the final rounds of a Challenge.

What the video doesn't show is what happens seconds later on the left side. Paul Russell cones. So, Greg -- working on a breakout run -- comes in 1.9 ahead plus the 2 seconds from a cone. I'm yelling at Greg, "He coned!! He coned!!"

Greg evidently didn't hear. But strangely enough, Paul didn't realize he'd coned either. Still, despite all that, McCance took a convincing win, not coning nor overdriving during what could have been a near victory lap for him.

Just another day for team #fastndrunk! Photo by Eric Hyman

We loaded the car up and Bret already had the smoker and grill going for celebration when we got there.

I had a great time despite what I felt was subpar driving. I guess I shouldn't be too awful hard on myself since I haven't really autocrossed since Nationals, and Greg's car wasn't exactly the easiest car to jump into and just drive. The rest of the guys -- Elliot, Tim, John, Chris and Adam -- were really cool too, and I look forward to running against them again.

Final Results from El Toro.

I had nothing planned for the next day and a half, so I ended up just wandering aimlessly on Monday. I wandered a few trails for a little bit -- I didn't want to go too far with a busted knee (from Boston) and improper shoes, plus it was highly ill-advised to hike along due to mountain lions (!) -- then went to the San Diego Archaeological Center where I talked with one of the archaeologists there for a while. It was very cool being able to talk to another scientist as a professional and share views on how archaeology relates to forensics, biology and anatomy! Then, wandering the grounds, I find a small burial ground and go back to the building to ask her about it, and learn some more about the history of the area and its role in the Mexican American War.

A San Pasqual tribal burial ground

The large cross in the background is that of Felicita, the daughter of the last traditional chieftain, Pontho, of the San Pasqual. She lived to be over 100 years old herself, and various stories abound about her and her father being sympathetic to the Americans wounded in the short-but-fierce battle of San Pasqual.

Afterwards, realizing how close I was to Escondido, I decided to head over to Stone Brewing for a light lunch and a brewery tour. It was pretty cool to get to try some Stone brews that aren't readily available, plus they have a variety of other local brews on tap, such as Coronado and Avery.

I picked up a few things in the store, and texted Greg to see if he would be home to drop off the shirt and hot sauces I'd picked up. Bret had cooked up some more delicious meat, so I was invited back for that. I ended up staying the night, and was the only one who managed to see the lunar eclipse. 

45 minutes before showtime.

I wrapped up the trip with a quick visit to Heather and wandering around Balboa Park until it was time to go to the airport. I probably should have extended the stay a day or so, but hindsight and all that, right? ;)

Prickly pear native to the area

San Pasqual-Clevenger Trails, South. So tranquil.

Small plaque on the back of another memorial. I wonder how many people see it.

Part of the Desert Garden at Balboa Park

Vicious looking cacti

Iconic architecture of the Casa del Prado

Coronado Island from takeoff

I came home to freezing temperatures and a rain/snow mix. So, after Pat picked me up at the airport, I drove my WRX over to DuClaw and ordered a HellRazer. I thought it tasted like home.

I must make some decisions about car setup, and soon. The DC ProSolo is next weekend. 

Ohio

Episode VII in this road trip! For previous installments : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

I'm not sure which I dislike more -- running in the first run group like I did the previous week at Packwood, or working in the first run group like I would at Toledo. I do know that working grid in the regular competition rounds isn't high on my list either, but I've been doing ProSolos long enough that I could figure it out pretty well. In fact, at NJ, I just sort of started working grid because Howard had taken over start (since the lights were misbehaving at that event). The problem with doing a job well though is that it suddenly becomes expected of you...


Anyway, Pat and I arrived on site around 6:30 so that he could help Learic change her tires. I'd changed tires on the WRX the night before, so for me, it would just be a matter of checking pressures and such before I ran. I went to walk courses and think about some things that Tony Savini had noted the previous evening, and then it was off to grid with Marc Pfannenschmidt for the next hour or so. We were praised for our smooth operation, setting a high precedent for the rest of the heats when we left.

ESP Grid, Saturday morning. Photo by Jen Merideth

While Pat struggled with getting clean runs in the 370Z (Him : "It doesn't handle like an ESP Camaro!" Me : "Duh! I told you it would be like an FS Camaro!!"), I started off with mid 0.6s RTs and decent enough times, except for my first run where I got seriously lost as I turned into the right hand sweeper. On my third run, however, the time was delayed, and as I pulled over to the left side for my last run, I see my running partner hasn't made it off course. In fact, people are starting to walk out on course, and then the SCCA truck rolls out. That can't be good.

Turns out that the brake caliper bracket on the ex-Merideth Mustang had snapped -- not for the first time, either! Fortunately, the damage was minimal, and they had enough parts with them to be able to fix it, just not in time for the co-driver to get runs in. In any event, clouds began to roll in towards the end of our session, and with our group's grid workers slacking at keeping classes together, ESP second drivers barely got two dry runs before the first of several deluges hit.

Very serious bizness.

I was sitting in fourth after the morning runs, with Shawn Alexander  in the lead, Dave Heinrich second and Dave Feighner less than a tenth ahead of me. I was only 0.4 back from Shawn. If it could stay dry in the afternoon, I was hoping I could make up the time.

With some timing issues (equipment malfunctions and the like) caused by the downpour, we ended up with no lunch break, so after taking the car over to paddock, it was almost immediately time to go back to work. However, there was a dilemma for another of the DC area ESP drivers... Evidently, something in the rear end of Sam Vassallo's Mustang broke during Adam George's runs. The initial diagnosis was the Watts link. Adam asked about driving the WRX for the afternoon session, but I pointed out that during a ProSolo, once you switch cars, you can't go back to your original vehicle. I didn't want him to be stuck in the WRX if the Mustang was fixable.

Sam went out to get some bolts from the local mom-and-pop hardware store, after Marcus pointed out that the broken bolt Adam removed wasn't the correct bolt.

He didn't buy out the store, but he brought back myriad bolts in the hopes one would work.

Meanwhile, Marc and I were whipping grid into shape in order to bust through classes as quickly as possible in order to avoid getting caught in the Toledo Tsunami II. While we may have come across as a bit irritable, I hope the competitors in groups 1 and 2 understood that we were trying to help them out by getting dry(ish) runs in.

As we turned the reins to grid over, another batch of storm clouds was building to the west. Marc and I had been checking the radar on his phone, and it looked like it could possibly miss the airport (going just barely to the north of us).

Pat vs. EricK. One time co-drivers, now mortal enemies. ;)

I'm sure the competitors of S5 weren't happy they'd been moved to the back of their grid, but with a few competitors working shift A, it was only fair they had time to get ready to run. The unfortunate thing was that the rain hit right when they were going out for their afternoon runs. Pat took one part-run in Learic's car, and came in, fearing he'd do something damaging in the wet on A6s. There was always Sunday morning, right?

The rain stopped before ESP was ready to go, though there were plenty of wet spots still on course. It was doubtful that any of us first drivers would improve, though the second drivers may have a chance, depending on when grid decided to send them this time.

Too. Many. Mustangs. Where all my F-bodies at??

As Dave and I pulled to the line, I realized that, yes, the course was going to be too damp for improvement. The airport doesn't drain particularly well since it's so flat. So, these runs were going to be for fun.

In the end, while waiting in impound, Dave and I talked about the few things we were able to learn in the dry areas on course, especially the finish slaloms. It was funny that we both were trying to do the same thing -- recon in the dry sections -- and despite vastly different cars, we were able to conclude the same thing; we weren't driving fast enough in several areas.

The rain was at least good for some striking photos. This one was taken by Craig Wilcox.

Some of the second drivers were able to improve, primarily due to getting a clean run on one side or another, but the top four remained the same going into Sunday's runs. Upon release from impound, I changed to the street tires -- I did not want to be caught in the rain Saturday night nor Sunday morning on the A6s -- then we headed over to Smokey Bones to hang out with some Ohio peeps for dinner before calling it a night, despite their best attempts to get us to go karting.

My phone is tethered to my pocket so that it doesn't magically disappear during dinner. Blurry photo by Sean O'Gorman.

Who's idea was it to start Sunday morning ProSolo runs an hour earlier than Saturday? It's like they hate night owls like myself. ;) Still, Pat and I got on site around 6:45, and I walked each course again. It's not like I didn't know what I needed to do, but walking helps me remember where I need to place the car.

The forecast was for no precipitation until later in the afternoon, and the early groups showed that the Saturday deluges had evidently wiped the slow off the course. Some of the ladies class competitors were dropping 1-2 seconds out there, and while that raised my spirits regarding ESP, it also scared me. I could drop 1.5s, but what about everyone else?

I watched and monitored Pat's progress while changing back to my A6s in paddock. His first two runs were fast, and put him momentarily into the S5 lead, but Joe Barbato dropped the hammer on his last two runs while Pat red lit and went slower. Still he held on to the second spot, 0.349 back from Barbato, in a car he'd never driven before.

It wasn't too long until it was my turn again.

Sunday's grid looks a lot like Saturday afternoon grid.

Pat went to turn on the camera, and it was dead. I was sad, but it meant I would definitely set my fastest times, since I couldn't record them. And, yes, first runs were fast, as expected, though I definitely left something on the table as I realized I'd left the AC/defrost on for my first run. :o I dropped another 0.5s on my first left side run, but my right side runs were killing me. I needed to step it up. I managed to barely nick the 30s on my last right, with a 30.9, and my subsequent 30.2 on the left was at that time only eclipsed by Dave Heinrich. It was good enough for third at that point, but with second drivers coming up, I wasn't hopeful to stay there.

Sure enough, Dave's son, Josh, came out of nowhere to grab second spot, only 0.1 off his dad, and running an impressive 30.2 on the right. Adam finally capitalized on the warm tires that Sam gave him and took fourth, a mere 0.006 behind Feighner. I would stay in the final trophy position, just a smidge over 0.7s back from the lead, knowing I left at least that much time on the table, and consoling myself with the fact that I was driving by myself on seriously old tires while everyone who finished ahead of me had been on stickers for the weekend.

I put the car in paddock, my name in for the bonus challenge and then started gridding up the Ladies Challenge to try to beat the rain. I didn't get lucky enough to be drawn for the bonus two weeks in a row (though Sam Krauss was drawn and could have driven my car, but he'd already left). The third epic flood (or was it the fourth? or fifth?) hit during the first round of the Super Challenge, making things very interesting, especially for matchups of R-comp vs. R-comp or R-comp vs. slick.

Voted least desirable umbrella girls for the event. ;) Alex says he only had one dry shirt, hence running shirtless here. Yes, he cleared it with the Chief of Safety.

The final came down to an ST car and an F125 on rain tires. The STC car, driven by Jason Frank, took the win.

Final round matchup

Pat had graciously changed my tires and loaded up my car during the Challenges, so all I had to do after we collected our trophies (and those of some friends who'd left already) was say our goodbyes. He'd ridden out with Adam, Sam and Mike Kline, so they left about an hour before me. Once I got on the road, I realized I was dead tired -- working in the rain probably didn't help -- and I only got as far as Youngstown before I grabbed a hotel for the night.

Toledo ProSolo Results

The rest of the trip was pretty easy. I stopped in Hancock to explore that part of the C&O Canal for a while, then rolled up to the house in the late afternoon. And sadly, the trip was over, marking what is the for me, essentially the end of summer.

Looking down the Potomac River

Abandoned structure near Lock 52. Probably the lock master's home.

Watch where you're walking...er... slithering!

Tonoloway Aqueduct

Any place can be a rest stop.

Until next year, oh western frontier!

All photos that I took

My YouTube Channel

My Instagram

Triskelion Racing

Post Title Origins

• So Lonely, The Police
• Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Wang Chung
• The Distance, Cake
• On The Road Again, Willie Nelson
• No Particular Place to Go, Chuck Berry
• Six Days on the Road, Sawyer Brown
• Ohio, Black Keys

The Beers that Came Back

• 11th Hour IPA, Crow Peak Brewing 
• Spotted Cow, New Glarus Brewing
• Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale, New Glarus Brewing
• Full Suspension Pale Ale, Salt Lake Brewing Co.
• IPA, Odell Brewing Company
• Alaskan Black IPA, Alaskan Brewing Company
• (traded for) Lake Erie Monster, Great Lakes Brewing Company
• (traded for) White Rajah, The Brew Kettle
• (traded for) Head Hunter, Fat Head's Brewery

Six Days on the Road

Believe it or not, this is episode six. To follow the story up until now, you'll want to check out 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

July 24, 2013. North Platte, NE. I barely remembered getting into town the night before. The trip east is always worse than the trip west, partly because of the time zones, and partly because I'm leaving the event site. While the latter disappointment was counteracted by the fact that I was going to another ProSolo, most of the problem was giving back another hour. It's great to "gain" time while heading west, but when Father Time comes calling for that debt... yeah, it sucks.

Add to it the building humidity.

Fog, anyone?

Yeah, the first hour or so on I-80 was a little interesting with the lack of visibility. Eventually, the mists cleared, and we were back at speed, just in time for me to come upon Cozad.

At the rest area, I'd seen an historical marker saying there were three Pony Express stations still in existence nearby. One was on private land, one was in Gothenburg, and the last was in Cozad. Well, I figured Cozad was small enough that I could find it, so when the exit came up, I went searching.

It didn't take long.

Through one of the windows

Like the Granger Station, it was locked, but through the windows, you could see there was period furniture inside. I was disappointed to not be able to go inside, but it was still cool to see.

Back to I-80, the vibration was getting more noticeable. It still wouldn't do anything during a lane change, but it was starting to manifest above 70mph instead of higher. I was being very careful with any kind of right hand turns to minimize the vibration while trying to see exactly what would trigger it.

As I approached Lincoln, I figured maybe I'd stop for lunch, just to give the car a break in case the vibration was an axle that was fatigued. Since I wasn't sure I'd be able to make Holly's birthday bonanza at Lazlo's, that's where I stopped.

Mmmmm. IPA....

Despite some friends claiming terrible service the last few times they were there, I had no problems and got my sandwich and drinks in a timely fashion. Of course, it was the tail end of the regular lunch hour, and probably not nearly as crowded as during the school year and Nationals week....

Back to the road, Iowa was next on the list of states to get through. I made one stop in Kellogg, where there were some kind of neat antique farm implements, but nothing else of significance.

Illinois netted nothing of note but a John Deere 18-wheeler that evoked images of Corvettes in grass, then I was in Indiana before I knew it.

C'mon. This was an easy joke for anyone who's put four off, especially at Peru. Like Matthew Braun.

It's amazing how the scale of things changes drastically as you cross Nebraska. Suddenly, the time between cities goes to minutes versus hours. The time to cross a state is 2-3 hours versus 5-7. So, I found myself in Toledo before I knew it. I checked in, cleared some things out of the car (since I'd be in town for a few days), and set the alarm before hitting the sack for the night.

Next morning, PURE Tuning was an easy drive from my hotel. Their website said they were open at 9AM, and I had had to switch my appointment from 7/24 to 7/25 so I couldn't remember if I was still supposed to show up at 10AM. I left at 9:15, arrived at 9:30, and Robert Chrismas greeted me. Yeah, SCCA autocross folks, that Robert Chrismas; he works at PURE now. While he and the other PURE guys moved cars around, I also saw XP Evo driver Kevin Lewis pull up with his truck and trailer.

Kevin needed a tune!

Well, Robert hadn't had my WRX on the lift for more than five or so minutes when I heard the dreaded, "You have to come and look at this." Now, for those new to the saga, last year on the way home from Packwood, I had a hose come off the air filter, resulting in a damaged turbo. The year before, I had a timing belt tensioner failing, so the timing belt was hitting the inside of the cover. I wasn't sure what I was about to see, but I could imagine it was going to be one of those, "You just avoided a serious catastrophe" moments.

As I walked out into the bay, and Robert shined his light on the undercarriage, the first thing I noticed is that he was looking at the driver side. Hmmm. That could be why I didn't notice anything when I pulled the passenger wheel in Evanston. Secondly, there was a bolt sticking more than halfway out of the lower control arm!!!. Damn. Just.... damn. I've had a control arm come apart there on the Camaro (broken welds), and it's not good. I guess the bad luck I experienced at the blackjack tables and the blood sacrifice at the car wash paid off to get through this one. :\

There isn't a whole lot that can be said about this except... Damn.

I think the best response I got to this photo was McCance texting me, "You and those f---ing control arms." What else can be said?

Robert was able to reuse the bolt, find a nut to work with it and get everything back together. Once the oil was changed, I was out and went over to Tony Packo's on Front Street for lunch then back to the hotel. I did laundry, took a nap, and was otherwise bored until Friday morning. 

Crossing the Maumee River

ECHL Outdoor Classic in 2014, between the Walleye and....???

It was a glorious thing to sleep in on Friday. Once I woke up and showered, I decided to go to the Toledo Museum of Art for a few hours before heading to the event site.

As always, there were incredible works on display, some I hadn't seen before. I ended up spending more time that I anticipated at the Museum, and finally left around 4:30 to head over to the airport. 

The Crommelynck Gate With Tools, Jim Dine, 1983.

Two Wings from the So-Called Salamanca Triptych, Jan Gossart (Mabuse), 1521. These are paintings!

Fear (La Crainte), Jean-Baptiste Le Prince, 1769.

Dress Impression with Train, Karen LaMonte, cast 2007

The Council of War, John Rogers, 1868. It's funny that I almost left, then decided to turn around and found this. Tad Lincoln said it was the most lifelike rendition of his father that he'd ever seen.

I finally headed over the the airport to check in and get my car teched, and Pat was there! He and Eric Kriemelmeyer had decided on a whim to come out and see if they could get in, and they did. While Pat had a few vehicles to choose from (including Newman's AS FRC Corvette and Learic's CS 370Z), Eric had brought his NA Solstice. I told Pat he should drive the 370Z since it was like an FS Camaro with better brakes, and that's what he ended up in.

Meanwhile, I got registered and teched (in paddock! Thanks, Brian!), then walked each course once. They looked worlds better than last years courses, if for nothing else than the finish wasn't a contorted mess. As site closure approached, Pat and I headed out to get cleaned up and then go over to Loma Linda's for Danny's birthday party, which was kinda blah, what with the mini-margaritas and the lack-luster participation in the birthday song. 

Danny got a sweet hat... but had to give it back

Let's not go there....

This '79 Bobcat was in the parking lot when we went to leave. We all drooled over it while the owner told us everything. And it had a huge nitrous bottle in the back!

We headed back to the hotel, ready for battle in the morning.

Next up : Toledo ProSolo!